Ultraviolette F77 | Track Machine On Road! | Road Test

BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE

Ultraviolette F77 comes with two battery pack variants - a standard 7.1kWh and a bigger 10.3 kWh. We had a top-spec Recon variant with a 10.3kWh battery pack. This is one of the bravest attempts so far to provide this big battery pack with an IDC range of 307km. Not just the range, but the power figures on paper are surprisingly healthy, with around 39 hp of peak power and 95 Nm of torque. I, too, hold the bike to a high standard of performance, as its appearance and specifications suggest. However, in reality, it isn't a neck-paining acceleration. Ultraviolette says they have purposely done this to keep the traction and wheelspin in check. The bike gets three riding modes - Glide, Combat and Ballistic. Glide could be better termed as an Eco mode, wherein the bike focuses on maximising range. It feels a bit dull to use this mode; however, in stuck-go traffic, you are better with the Glide mode. Things get to change in Combat mode. It was the most suitable mode as it had the perfect character of performance that one expects from a bike like this. Then there is a Ballistic mode - it's quick but not entertainingly thrilling, it has a good quick linear acceleration rather than a sudden torque surge as one would expect from a sporty e-bike like F77. 

The throttle calibration is flawless, providing a rapid surge of up to 50-60km/hr. From there, the acceleration is effortless and allows for a smooth ride. Once one gets the hang of the throttle calibration, modulating the inputs to get the best out of the bike could be satisfying. Acceleration of 0-100km/hr around 8 seconds puts it in comparison to 250-300 cc bikes. However, the feel of an EV doing this acceleration is so different. Yes, one would argue, bro - you do not know how engaging it feels to rev the engine and change gears but believe me when I say F77 also feels quite fun to throttle hard. Different does not always necessarily mean non-engaging. 

In real-world usage , F77 is competent enough to give a range of around 210-220 km (switching between Glide and Combat mode according to need ) .There are three modes of regen as well - low, medium and high. However, I barely felt any resistance, even in the high mode. Better regenerative braking calibration could further enhance the real-world range. In terms of charging, customers have to pay Rs 26,650 extra for the Boost charger and Rs 42,500 to have both the standard and Boost chargers. The Boost charger is quite heavy to carry around; one can either mount it on the rear seat or carry it in a backpack, so planning a road trip will not be an easy affair. The Boost charger has a 3.0kW capacity with a max output voltage and current of 58V and 50A, respectively, good enough to serve the full charging time of around 5-5:30 hrs. 

RIDE, HANDLING AND BRAKING 

The weight of the F77 Recon is on the heavier side, with over 207kgs of weight - it becomes cumbersome to muscle it around city traffic. But once you gain the momentum, the weight tries to disappear. The suspension is on the firmer side for a reason. Firstly, the bike's character is sporty in nature, and secondly, to avoid bottoming out of suspensions over the bad paths that could cause damage to the battery pack. The rear mono-shock is too firm that it jerks off to its original position, thus hampering the ride quality. However, one can adjust both suspensions for preload. 

Corner Carver! That's what we like to call it. Everyone from our team loved the way it holds its composure around the corners and itches one to push harder. The MRF Steel Brace tyres further add muchrequired grip to boost confidence. There is a nice whining sound of the motor to add a persona of electric performance. However, the chain noise and squeaky noises dull the experience. Another sector of improvement would be the brakes. It has a 320mm disc at the front, and a 230mm disc at the rear with a dual-channel ABS setup. The braking performance could have been better ; it does have an assuring bite, but the feedback could have been better. During hard braking, ABS kicks in, making the front end shaky, thus lowering the confidence.